The Most Amazing Gingerbread Loaf with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
You’re going to love this moist gingerbread loaf for the holidays!
This holiday gingerbread loaf with maple cream cheese frosting is the quintessential holiday dessert! It is warmly spiced and perfectly sweet!
Note: This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. If you make a purchase, this site may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. You can read my full disclosure policy here.
UPDATED September 24, 2024 with new photos and more detailed instructions.
Once Thanksgiving is over, I waste no time moving into full-blown Christmas mode. Truly, it is my absolute favorite holiday!
Confession…I am totally one of those people who starts celebrating Christmas before Thanksgiving.
I start playing Christmas music in early November (if I can wait that long) and put up my decorations before Thanksgiving is over.
And now that the rest of the world is in Christmas mode, I can share this wonderful recipe for homemade gingerbread loaf with maple cream cheese frosting.
It’s one of my favorite treats this time of year!
Holiday Gingerbread Loaf Recipe
You know how some desserts just simply scream “Christmas?” This is absolutely one of those.
It’s loaded with warm spices and is delightfully sweet on its own thanks to the depth provided by brown sugar and molasses.
But what really takes it to the next level is the addition of maple cream cheese frosting!
I’ve decided the frosting is definitely not optional…it’s just that good!
Related Recipes:
- Gingerbread Bundt Cake from a Mix
- Cake Mix Gingerbread Cookies
- Molasses Cake
- 15 Christmas Gingerbread Recipes
This holiday gingerbread loaf is baked in a loaf pan but is moist and cake-like in texture.
It’s one of those simple quick bread recipes you can enjoy as a dessert for a holiday dinner, a snack when you need a break from wrapping presents, or even an easy breakfast for Christmas morning.
I’m a big fan of easy holiday treats, and this gingerbread with maple cream cheese frosting definitely fits the bill.
It’s a breeze to prepare and is the perfect tasty addition to your holiday menu or to bring along to a holiday get-together.
The gingerbread loaf is a sweet recipe with plenty of warming spices, giving it holiday flavor you’ll love!
If you’re looking for more festive treats, check out these holiday favorite recipes:
- Cranberry Streusel Pie: A Festive and Beautiful Holiday Dessert
- No Bake Gingerbread Pie
- How to Make Peppermint Swirl Marshmallows for the Holidays
- Easy Eggnog Bundt Cake
- Eggnog Ice Cream Pie
- Nantucket Cranberry Pie
- Cream Cheese Cranberry Bread
- Holiday Pistachio Bread
- Sweet Potato Pound Cake
- Molasses Cake
How to Make a Gingerbread Cake Loaf
It’s super easy to make this old-fashioned favorite for the holidays!
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Ground ginger
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground cloves
- Salt
- Unsulphured molasses
- Water
- Butter
- Brown sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Cream cheese
- Confectioner’s sugar
- Milk
- Maple extract
How to Make it:
(Full printable recipe card is available below)
Combine dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, you’ll combine the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.
Dilute the molasses. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine molasses and hot water, whisking to combine.
Combine wet ingredients. In a mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), use an electric mixer to beat together the butter and brown sugar until fluffy.
Then, add the egg and vanilla extract.
Make the batter. With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the molasses mixture to the wet ingredients.
Bake. Spread the gingerbread batter into a prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Make the frosting. Let the cake cool, then prepare the frosting by beating cream cheese and powdered sugar together.
Add in the milk and maple extract, mixing to incorporate.
Once you’ve let the loaf cool, spread the frosting over it, then serve and enjoy this holiday treat.
It’s perfect with a cup of coffee or tea!
Notes and Adaptations:
- Although you technically can skip the frosting, I really think it adds a lot to this cake, so I highly recommend adding it! If you don’t use frosting, I suggest serving the slices warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 3-5 days. It should be refrigerated since there is dairy in the frosting. It should only be left out at room temperature for a couple of hours.
- If you’re making this cake ahead of time, you can freeze the unfrosted loaf. Simply double wrap the cooled loaf well with plastic wrap, then freeze. Allow it to thaw before frosting.
- I use unsulphured molasses, not blackstrap molasses.
- If you don’t have maple extract on hand, you can use vanilla extract in the frosting instead.
Recommended Equipment:
Gingerbread Loaf with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
This delicious gingerbread with maple cream cheese frosting is a festive and decadent dessert!
Ingredients
For the Gingerbread:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup unsulphured molasses
- 3/4 cup hot water
- 1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Maple Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
- 3 Tbs milk, plus more if needed
- 1/2 tsp maple extract
Instructions
- Grease a loaf pan and preheat oven to 350F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt.
- In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl, combine molasses and hot water, whisking to combine.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and brown sugar, beating with paddle attachment until creamed together well, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add in egg and vanilla, beating until well combined.
- With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the molasses mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with just a few crumbs. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting, use an electric mixer to beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar together. Drizzle in maple extract and milk while mixing, adding more milk as needed to thin frosting to desired consistency.
- Remove cooled gingerbread to serving platter and spread frosting on top.
Notes
- Although you technically can skip the frosting, I really think it adds a lot to this cake, so I highly recommend adding it! If you don't use frosting, I suggest serving the slices warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 3-5 days. It should be refrigerated since there is dairy in the frosting. It should only be left out at room temperature for a couple of hours.
- If you're making this cake ahead of time, you can freeze the unfrosted loaf. Simply double wrap the cooled loaf well with plastic wrap, then freeze. Allow it to thaw before frosting.
- I use unsulphured molasses, not blackstrap molasses.
- If you don't have maple extract on hand, you can use vanilla extract in the frosting instead.
Gingerbread adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction and frosting adapted from Martha Stewart
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 441Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 405mgCarbohydrates: 64gFiber: 1gSugar: 39gProtein: 5g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.
Be sure to save this recipe to your Christmas board on Pinterest!
Can one make this into cupcakes?
People today are more comfortable with their own portion for sanitary consideration.
Hi Michele! I haven’t tried it as cupcakes, but I think it should work fine. You’ll need to decrease the bake time–I’d recommend that you start checking the muffins around 22 minutes or so. I hope that helps–enjoy! 🙂
This is absolutely delicious. However, I baked for the maximum time but the center fell during the bake time. I used freshly milled flour so maybe I need to add more flour next time. ?? It seems like a lot of liquid for the amount of flour. Regardless, we gleefully ate it all. Thank you for the yumminess!
Hi Jo! Thank you for your kind words–I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I don’t bake with freshly milled flour, so I’m not an expert, but I believe you may need more of it since it’s often fluffier (I’ve read an extra 1/4 cup per 1 cup called for by the recipe is a rule of thumb). Otherwise, baking it a little longer could help–if the edges are browning too much you could tent some foil over the pan. But I’m glad it was a hit despite the fallen center! 🙂